The room suddenly plunged into complete darkness, as though every light in the entire lab had been snuffed out. The air felt thick, heavy with an unexplainable tension. Marvin’s eyes strained, but he couldn’t see anything—not even his own hands. All around him, machines powered down, with their hums dying out into a silence that was both unsettling and absolute.Marvin’s heart pounded. His fists were clenched, and he raised them slightly, unsure if he would need to defend himself in the pitch-blackness.“Uncle!” he called out, his voice was tense, echoing through the dark room.There was no answer.“Uncle!” he shouted again, louder this time, his voice breaking a little. He waited, straining his ears for any sign of movement, but all he could hear was the pounding of his own heart.“Uncle, are you there? Stop all these games! I’m not buying it!” Marvin’s voice was firm, but deep down, he could feel a flicker of fear beginning to grow.Then, suddenly, a strange, soft light appeared i

Marvin looked at Mr. Christopher, his eyes filled with a quiet pride as he prepared to explain himself.“You see, Uncle,” he began, “I’ve loved technology for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a kid, I’d spend hours tinkering with old gadgets, taking them apart to see how they worked, then putting them back together. That curiosity never faded.”He paused, a small smile crossing his face as he recalled those early memories. For a moment, the weight of his recent betrayal faded, and he felt a glimmer of the same excitement that had driven him all his life. “All through high school, I studied tech with a great passion. I read every book I could find, joined every tech club, and even won a few competitions. By the time I reached college, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I majored in engineering, graduated with honors, and went on to complete a doctorate in advanced technology systems. I didn’t just study—I lived and breathed tech.”Mr. Christopher listened intently, clearly i

Suddenly, they were back in Mr. Christopher’s secret chamber, with their souls settling back into their bodies. Both men took deep breaths, filling their lungs with air as they returned to the world of the living.Marvin opened his eyes, feeling the familiar weight of his own body, but with a new understanding of the power he might one day hold. Mr. Christopher breathed deeply beside him, his eyes no longer glowing, but watching Marvin with a quiet confidence.Mr. Christopher placed his palm on the fingerprint sensor at the base of the cocoon. As soon as his hand touched it, he could feel the energy inside of him flowing back into the cocoon. The soft, sky-blue light that represented his synapticore energy pulsed back to life within the device, filling the room with a gentle glow.The air grew calm, and Mr. Christopher turned to Marvin. "Let's go over to the lab. I could run some tests on you," he said with a faint smile.Marvin nodded, still filled with curiosity and a growing se

Mr. Richmond’s sharp voice echoed through the grand dome, cutting through the heated debates. “Tariq Khyber,” he began, leaning forward, his eyes locking onto the head of Khyber Technologies, “let’s address the elephant in the room. We all know why you’re here—and it’s not for Astralyte’s benefit or for the good of Westwood.”The other family heads turned their attention to Richmond, intrigued by his sudden shift in tone.“You already control Diamond Bank, the largest financial institution in Westwood,” Richmond continued. “With it, you’ve gained an iron grip on the financial veins of our society. Every major transaction, every corporate deal—it all runs through you. And now, you want Astralyte. Why? To consolidate even more power? To ensure no one can ever oppose you again?”Tariq Khyber’s faint smirk faltered for the briefest moment. “Richmond,” he replied coolly, “you speak as though control and leadership are crimes. My bank provides stability. Without me, the financial sector of

Tariq Khyber stood up, his movements were slow and deliberate, commanding attention in the room. With an air of confidence, he collected the thick folder from his assistant and opened it. From within, he retrieved a small flash drive, holding it up for everyone to see before passing it to the person in charge of the projector.“My fellow family heads,” he began, his voice was steady and measured, “the numbers don’t lie. Allow me to explain.”The projector screen lit up with charts and graphs as Tariq clicked a remote to begin his presentation. The first slide displayed a summary of Richmond Tech’s profits over the past five years, a consistent fifty billion dollars annually. Then the next slide appeared, showing the Richmond family’s total assets, which had mysteriously surged by five hundred billion in the same period.“As you can see here,” Tariq said, gesturing to the screen, “Richmond Tech’s official profits are accounted for. Fifty billion a year—very impressive for any compa